From the former secretary of defense, a strikingly candid, vivid account of serving Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When Robert M. Gates received a call from the White House, he thought he'd long left Washington politics behind: After working for six presidents in both the CIA and the National Security Council, he was happily serving as president of Texas A&M University. But when he was asked to help a nation mired in two wars and to aid the troops doing the fighting, he answered what he felt was the call of duty.

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File Size: 22914 KB
Print Length: 642 pages
Publisher: Vintage (January 14, 2014)
Publication Date: January 14, 2014
Language: English
ASIN: B00F8F3J2S
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

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- #187 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Military > Afghan & Iraq Wars > Iraq War
- #300 in Books > History > Military > Iraq War

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Charles L Evans

One of the few memoirs I may read a second time

August 7, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

As someone who has been associated with the US government (as active duty, a DoD civilian, and as a contractor) for 26 years now, I found this book to be incredibly insightful. I might well read it again. It usually takes me months to read a book this size; I finished this one in just over a week. One aspect that I enjoyed is that while Gates made numerous references to his past, he did not go on and on and on about it. When I read a book like this I do not care about how the author's grandparent's made their way to America. I do not care about where or under what conditions the author grew up. For a book like this I want to be hit in the face immediately with the here-and-now, and that's what Gates did. I think of the entire 600 pages he spent just over TWO pages on this childhood. Some authors spend entire chapters (or multiple chapters) about their years as a child and/or teenager. Some readers like that, and that's fine. For me, I don't care. If I am reading a SECDEF's memoirs I want them to begin at the moment he gets the call from the President and end with the day he resigns. This book is perfect in that regard. The amount of detail is amazing. Gates take you into the Situation Room with him, into the Oval Office, into the countless meetings and gives what I believe to be a balanced assessment of every personality that was in-play during his tenure (from field commanders to POTUS). Just as important, his love for the troops and their well-being is beyond question. Well done, Bob!

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Mike Dillemuth

Great Look at the Politics of War.

March 2, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Bob Gates provides an excellent look at the politics and personal stresses of being Secretary of Defense. Fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were certainly a priority. That said, he also spent considerable time on Iran, China, Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell, budget cuts, White House micromanagement, and Congressional parochialism.

Mr. Gates’ focus on troop welfare seemed to be at odds with numerous bureaucrats. A good example was his insistence on quickly deploying Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. He struggled against a bureaucracy that was more focused on developing new weapons for the next war, rather than saving troops in the current war.

Since the author worked for both Bush and Obama, he is able to provide a unique assessment of each president. Whereas President Bush was focused on winning the wars, President Obama was focused on getting out. One surprising observation was that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was a major supporter of the military; something for which she is not normally given credit. Both she and the author were frequently allied against an inexperienced White House security council.

Overall, this is a great book. It is easy to read and paints a deeply personal picture of Mr. Gates. In many ways, it’s an insightful look at how the self-serving interests of Congress can affect how we fight wars. The book is long, at almost 600 pages and contains numerous color photos. Most readers should find this book interesting.

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J&SLeavitt

Balanced, but hates politics too much

March 1, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I tend to think of memoirs as little more than a platform for public figures to try to glorify themselves or frame their legacies to ensure against the inevitable -- that everyone will forget that you ever existed (applies to most people besides presidents). In "Duty," on the other hand, Robert Gates gives us a pretty solid and fair account of his time in office as Secretary of Defense. He scores several points above the self-seekers out there.

That's not to say that Gates is just trying to get the facts out there; he's got his point of view and he's pushing it at us. The difference, in my view, is that Gates is doing it fairly. He's not above calling BS when he thinks he sees it -- he's especially hard on Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Dick Cheney, and virtually the entire White House staff of Obama. But he's not just taking pot shots. He frames his disagreements as just what they were: policy disagreements, and he's gracious in noting that the people behind the disagreements are solid, smart, good people with whom he got along very well on a personal level.

That simple acknowledgement -- that those with whom we may disagree are, at the bottom of it all, pretty decent people -- is all to rare among public figures, and Gates gets my kudos for basing his memoirs on that foundational idea. He thinks pretty little of preening, parochial congresspeople and the way they place personal political gain above the good of the country, but regardless of policy differences he makes sure to note the good people he served with who genuinely had a different view of what's good for America, and Gates makes sure we know he appreciated that in his colleagues.

My biggest gripe with "Duty" is simply that I think Gates abhorred so much that politics could be an element of policymaking that he failed to acknowledge that -- as much as he doesn't like it -- it's a fact of governing. He tended in his memoir to be pretty harsh with those who kept politics on the president's radar, and I found that a little unfair. Presidents have to play politics. It shouldn't govern all, that's true, but by even Gates' own account, neither Bush nor Obama gave abeyance solely to politics. As such, I feel like Gates should have allowed more latitude to political advisers to do their jobs without griping about them all the time.

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